Searcher For A Day

I think it may have been after we had produced “Its Over” with Mike that I heard he’d quit The Searchers. As far as I recall I think it was just to be a solo single whilst he was still in the band. I think it is a big shame. I know folks have to make a living but for me the Searchers were those guitars and Mikes voice (plus the great harmonies of course)†

Anyway after Mike had set up Mike Pender’s Searchers he called me asking me to do a TV show with them in Manchester. The record relied heavily on Keyboards and there were no keyboards in the line-up. The show was a strange combination. The music was played live but recorded for later transmission. There was no audience but one would be dubbed later so it had to look as if the band were acknowledging an audience. It was strange to see Mike take a few paces forwards and bow into thin air with imaginary applause ringing in his ears.††

However that was nothing compared to the peculiarities of what I had to do. I was playing off stage and would not be in camera shot. However, various camera men and dudes with clipboards found my positioning not to their liking I was eventually moved to about 30 feet away. Now, although I had a monitor it was a bit discomforting to be playing with a band that were small figures in the distance. What was really difficult was that I could not hear the drummers count-in. A couple of times I had to add to the surrealality of the situation by shouting across the studio floor, “can you count in a bit louder”, Ah well, that’s showbiz!†